Athlete&#39;s protective garment



Feb. 28, 1928.

D. LEVINSON ATHLETE s PROTECTAIVE GARMENT Filed-Ian. 17, 1923 2Sheets-Sheet l ,Dmmd lam/765071 Feb. 28, 1928. 1,660,342

D. LEVINSON ATHLETES PROTECTIVE GARMENT Filed Jan. 17. 1925 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 28, 1928.

entrain staras DAVID LEVINSQN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,

* resent ASSIGNOR TO VJILSOhT-WES'IEERN SPORTING- Goons so, or CHICAGO,rumors, a oonroaarron or DELAWARE.

ATHLETES PROTECTIVE GAliitItHillT'1..v

Application filed January 17, 1923. Serial Ito. 613,103.

The invention relates to athletes protective garments, and particularlyto garments which are primarily designed to be used by baseball players,football players, and other athletes, who, during the playing of a game,slide upon the surface of the field or floor, and in so doing subjecttheir hips, legs, and other parts of their bodies to the possibility ofinjury. i

The garment referred to embodies the various features shown, described,and claimed in my copending application for United States LettersPatent, Serial Number 596,260, filed October 23, 1922. It also embodiesa number of additional improvements which form the subject matter ofthis application.

An object of the invention is to provide a garment which will protectthe hips, thighs, rear portion, and legs of the player against injury,and to employ pads which are connected together so as to allow relativemovement between the pad elements forming the protective parts of thegarment.

Another object of the invention is to arrange the pads ofthe garment insets, which hang at the sides and the rear of the wearer, so that onepad of a set is permitted to slide relatively to another, or to theothers of the set, and to connect them together in a way that theirproper relative relation will be maintained when they are brought intoaction and use during sliding and also after sliding.

A further object of the invention is to so construct the garment thatthe number of protective'elements or pads may be increased ordiminished, according to the wishes of the user.

It is a further object of the invention toso construct the garment thatcertain of the protective elements or pads are readily adjustable, andthat they may be shifted and changed in their positions, i. e., they maybe raised or lowered to suit the desires of the wearer.

An additional object of the invention is to construct a garment withbelt and skirt portions to which the side pads are attached, and towhich the rear pads may be attached. By this construction the strainsonthe garment arising from use by'the' player are dis tributed and thelasting and wearing ties of the garment are increased.

One of the-specific objects of the invention is to provide the rearportion of the garment with a sliding pad which may be adjustablyqualisecured to the rear skirt portion of the garment'by'means of a cordand eyelet arrangement.

A further object of the invention is construct the rear pad in suchamanner that it will effectively and efficiently protect the wearer inthe region of the lower terminat1on of the spinal column.

The invention will be explained and more readily understood when readinconnection with the accompanying drawings, in which one embodiment ofthe invention is illustrated, it being'obvious that changes andmodiiications may be made without departing rom'the spirit of theappended claims.

In the drawings: I Figure 1 is a rear elevation of an athletesprotective garment constructedaccording to the invention and showing therear pad in position on the garment.

Figure 2 is a rear elevational view of the garment with the side padsbroken away and the rear pad removed.

' Figure 3 is a section taken on line '3-3 of Figure-1.

Figure 41s a section taken on line H of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a section taken on line 55 of Figure 1. I

Figure 6, is an elevational view of a por- 7 is a section taken on line7-7 of the binding strip 12. The body portion is also provided with afront or abdomen skirt portion 18, and a rear skirt portion 14, whichskirt portions are stitched together at the sides'and extend downwardlyfrom the belt.

The front or abdomen portion of the garment has a placket with lacing15, so that the garment may be adjusted to comfortably fit the wearer. i

The belt 11 has at the rear thereof a gore or gusset 16, made ofelastic, or other suit able material, to compensate for the expansionand contraction to which the belt is subjected, and to assist in makingthe garment fit snugly and comfortably.

The belt of the gari'nent is reinforced with strips of webbing 17 and18, which each extend on their respective sides substantially from theplacket and lacing 15 to adjacent the elastic gore or gusset 16. Asupport 19 is removably attached to the lower ends of the front and rearskirt portions 13 and 14-.

Three sets of sliding pads are provided, two side sets and one rear set.Each set comprises a plurality of pads. Each of the pads designated 20,21, and 22 is arranged next the bodyof the wearer. Each of the innerside pads 20 and 21 has its upper, straight end sewed, or otherwisesecured, on the inner face of the main body portion 10 of the garment.The pads are sewed, or otherwise secured, to the belt 11 at the top, asindicated at 23 and also at 24 in ldigure 6. The straight, upper edgesof each of the inner side pads 20 and 21 are caught under and secured bythe binding strip 12. The inner pads 20 and 21 ext-end downwardly fromthe belt portion a suitable distance to wards the knees ofthe wearer andare made with roundedends. The inner pads are constructed in a manner toprotect the wearer under hard and strenuous usage, but, nevertheless insuch a way that the wearer may have complete comfort and freedom ofmovement at all times and in all positions. The inner pads 20 and 21 areeach provided with a plurality of eyelets which are in a plurality ofrows 25'and 26 arranged transversely oi? the length of the padintermediate the ends thereof.

One, or more additional pads 27 and 28, which are removable, may belaced by the laces 29, or otherwise secured, in a row of the eyelets. Itwill be obvious that in case a large amount of padding is desired, one,or more, additional pads '27 and 28 may be laced, or otherwise securedin the other, or others, (if they are provided) of said. rows of eyeletsin saidinner pads. The. primary purpose in having the plurality of rowsof eyelets in the inner pads 20 and 211's to permit the removable pads27 and 28 to be adjustably secured in place. player might like to havethe removable pads 27 and 28 hang relatively far down and would use thelowest row of eyelets. At another time he might like to have the pads 27and 28 raised as far as possible and would use thehighest row ofeyelets.

Outer pads 31 and 32 are, respectively, associated with the inner pads20 and 21.

One time the stantially corresponds in outline to the lower portion ofthe inner pads. The outer pads are connected adjacent their upper edges,as indicated at 33, 3a to the hip portion of the main body lOof thegarment. The outer pads are placed over both hangover and and th ghs ofthe wearer.

the inner pads and protectthe sides, hips,

it will be apparent that, since the inner pads 20 and 21 are secured instraight lines, as shown, to the inner face of the belt and skirtportions of the garment and that the upper, rounded ends oi", the outerpads 31 and are secured to the outside of the skirt portions of thegarment, that the strains ensuing fromthc relative movement of the padson each other when the player slides on the ground or floor will bedistributed in such a way that the garment will have increased strengthand durability.

The pairs of pads 20, 21, and 31, 32 are, respectively,connectedtogether at their opposite edges by means of the front and rearconnecting bands 35 and 36. These bands may be of elastic or non-elasticmaterial and are constructed to hold and maintain'the pairs of inner andouter pads, as well as the intermediate pads, betweenthem and in theirproper relation, and to permitthem to move relatively to and slide uponeach other when. they are in use and when the player runs and slides tothe desired position. The intermediate, removable pads which are heldbetween theinner and outer pads, hang freely from the line, or lines, oflacing in the row, or rows, of eyelets,25 and 26, and although betweenthe connecting bands 35 and 36 are not directly connected to them.

The intermediate removable, auxiliary pads 27 and 28 are arranged and]employed between the pairs of inner and outer pads.

Each of the auxiliary or intermediate pads substantially corresponds indesign to the inner pads and has a straight, upper por tion and arounded, lower portion. The auxiliary and intermediate pads are providedwith eyelets 3'7. The eyelets in the intermediate pads 27 and 28 arearranged in alignment with the eyelets in the inner pads 20 and 21, sothat the attaching cord or lacing 29 may be readily passed through theeyelets of both pads and thereby secure these pads together.

The upper edge of each intermediate pad has a reinforcing strip 38 whichextends across the entire width of the upper end of the pad andhas theeyelet-s 37 therein.

It will be understood that if the player should desire to increase thenumber of the intermediate pads in either set of side pads,

this can readily be done. To accomplish this, it is only necessary toremove the cord,

arrange the desired number of intermediate pads, so that the eyeletstherein are in alignment with the eyelets in the pads 20 and 21 and thenthread the cord or lacing 29 through the eyelets. f i

The rear set of pads'is placed between the side sets and isremovablysecured to the-rear skirt portion 14.- The rear skirt portion14 is provided with a plurality of rows of eye lets 39, 40 and 41. Therows of eyelets are spaced apart below the strips of webbing 17 and 18and the individual eyelets are an ranged on opposite sides of the gussetor gore 1G in vertical alignment with each other.

The inner pad 22 of the rear set of pads is designed so that it may beworn with comfort to the player. Thispad 22 is provided with a pluralityof reinforced eyelets '42 which are'arranged adjacent the upper edge ofthe pad. The eyelets 42 are formed in the material 43 providing-areinforcing band for the upper part of the pad; lVhenrit is desired tosecure the rear: pad 22 to'the re- 22 is stitched and secured to theinner pad 22 along the upper edge at 46 and is also stitched and securedto the inner pad along the lower and side edges at 47 48, and 49 in amanner to permit of relative movement of the pads 22 and 45 with respectto each other. 7

This last mentioned pad 45 has secured to it a suitably shaped pad 50 ofsoft material, such as felt, which is arranged bet-weenthe pad 45 andthe inner pad 22. This felt pad 50 is stitched'or otherwise secured tothe pad 45 to form a. pocket in which is enclosed a suitably shaped discor plate 51 of fibre or other similar and relatively stiff and hardmaterial. The disc or plate 51 is primarily employed. to protect thelower end of the spinal column of the wearer. The felt pad 50 provides acushion for the end of the spine and is placed between the body of thewearer and the fibre disc or plate 51 to provide a cushion between theplayer and the plate.

It is manifest that by the provision of the eyelets in the skirt portion14 the pads 22, 45 and 50 and the plate 51 may be moved relatively tothe garment to position the plate 51 and the cushion 50 to the desiredregion of the players anatomy to be protected.

The inner pads 20 and 21 are provided with the elastic bands 52 and 53.Thebands are connected to the oppositeedges of the respective innerpadsandwith the pads, are designed to encircle the legs of the wearerand hold thepads 20 and 2-1 in their proper positions with relation to.the legs and hips of the wearer.

As before stated, the main body portion 10 is designed withskirtportions which have the support 19 secured thereto. A plurality ofbuttonholes 54 is placed in the front and rear skirt portions. Buttons55 are secured to thesupport 19, whereby the support is buttoned to theskirt portions 13 and 14. This support, it will be readily understood,not only serves to support organs of the player, but holds and maintainsthe front and rear skirt portions snugly against the body of the wearerand also holds and main tains the three sets of pads firmly on the bodyof the wearer. V

- From the foregoing it will be understood that. an athletic garment isproduced which will-diminish the friction between the body of the:player and the ground or floor, and

thus fully protect the player against njury. It will also be understoodthat the innergand outer pads of each set of pads are secured together,yet permitted and adapted to move and slide with relation to each other.

It is also evident that an athletic garment is produced in which thereis cooperation be tween the three sets of'pads in protecting the body ofthe wearer when he slides, falls or rolls on the ground or floor, and ifhe collides with or brushes against his opponents.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim and desire to secureby Letters Patent is:

1. In a garment of the character described the combination of a beltportion, a pair of members carried by the belt portion and extendingdownwardly from the rear thereof when worn by a person, said pair ofmembers having a row of eyelets. and said belt portion having aplurality of rows of eyelets, a lacing threaded in said eyelets toadjustably secure said-pair of members to saidbelt portion, said membersbeing connected together for relative movement of portions of saidmembers with respect to each other, acushioned plate supported andinterposed between said members, and said cushioned plate being arrangedwith respect to said members to locate said cushioned plate adjacent thetermination of the spine of the 2. In a garment of the characterdescribed the combination of a belt portion, a detachable pad extendingdownwardly from the wearer, and means whereb T said cushion and platemay be adjustably ield with relation to saidbelt portion, said meanscomprising a plurality of rows of eyelets in said belt portion andeyelets in said downwardly extending pad, and a lace threaded in theeyelets of said belt portion and said pad.

3. In a garment of the character described the combination of a beltportion, a pair of members carriedby and extending downwardly from therear of the belt portion when worn by a person, a plate, a cushion, saidplate being interposed between the cushion and one of said members, saidcushion being secured to said member, said plate and cushion beingarranged between said members which extend from the belt portion, saidpair of members being secured for movement with respect to portions ofeach other and adjustably held with relation to said belt portion, andsaid plateand cushion being located relatively to the mere-- her towhich they are secured to locate said plate. and cushion adjacent thetermination of the spine of the wearer.

4. In a garment of the character described the combination of a beltportion, a pair of members carried by and extending downwardly from therear of the belt portion when worn by a person, a plate, a cushion,

cushion being located relatively to the member to whichthey are securedto locate said plate and cushion adjacent the termination of the spineof the wearer, said adjustment beingsecured by means of eyelets, and alacing in said belt portion and said downwardly extending member towhich the cushion is not secured. In witness whereof, I hereuntosubscribe nay name this 11 rdayaof January, A. D., 1 23. i

Davin LEVINSON.

